Summary of main strengths /
- Attainment levels in literacy are above national norms.
- Pupils display very positive attitudes towards all aspects of literacy.
- Pupils enjoy reading and understand many of the factors which make a child a good reader.
- Reading comprehension skills and a variety of writing genre are explicitly taught at all class levels but a whole school approach would lead to the sequential development of skills.
- Literacy Initiatives are viewed positively by pupils and parents.
- Pupils use their literacy skills competently in their learning of all curriculum areas.
- Pupils are exposed to a wide variety of reading texts.
- Pupils read with fluency.
Summary of main areas requiring improvements /
- .A whole school approach to the development of comprehension skills, with specific targets at each class level needs to be implemented.
- A focused approach to explaining comprehension to the parent will be explored at class level.
- Outcomes for writing need to be further explored and agreed at whole school level and used to facilitate progression.
- The teaching of the writing process needs to be further developed throughout the school.
- Continued focus on the agreed procedure and programme for spelling with targets at each class level and differentiation based on stages of development.
- Use of the Drumcondra Reading test as a standardised test to further test comprehension skills.
- Development of a school based approach to penmanship.
Improvement Targets / Required
Actions related to Teacher Actions and pupil learning. / Persons Responsible / Timeframe for actions / Review Dates
YEAR ONE 2013 - 2014 / June 2014.
Comprehension:
- As school has good scores in reading we will aim to maintain this standard.63% of pupils scored above the 50th percentile on standardized tests.
- Consider options for changing the main reading scheme
- Using sets of novels, set up book clubs at different levels
- Increase the percentage of children reading above the 85th percentile on standardized test by 2% each year. 27% at present.
- Reduce the percentage of children reading in the 3rd to 16th percentile band by 1% each year. 8% at present.
- Circulate a yearly plan for the explicit teaching of the strategies at each class level – using Building Bridges of understanding Schemes
- Purchase Manuals for each teacher and sets of books for each strategy. Boxes sets of suitable books for each strategy will be in the library.
- Parents will gain an understanding of the strategies at each class level and their significance in the improvement of reading standards.
- Teachers at each class level to put an explanation on homework sheets
:
Measureable Outcomes: Review June 2014.
New schemes considered and selected.
Report from book club groups.
Monthly reports and checklists reflect the strategies being taught.
All manuals and books purchased and available according to strategy.
All classes have prepared explanation of the comprehension strategies to be included with the homework sheets...
Reading standards in the school were assessed on the Drumcondra English Test. All targets were met.
Specific results for comprehension were analysed to inform a review of targets for next year.
Improvement Targets / Required
Actions related to Teacher Actions and pupil learning. / Persons Responsible / Timeframe for actions / Review Dates
YEAR TWO 2014 - 2015 / June 2015.
Comprehension:
- To reduce the percentage of children scoring in the 17th to 50th percentile by 1% each year on the Comprehension section of the Drumcondra Reading Test. 23% at present.
- To increase the percentage in the 51st to 84th percentile by 1% each year. 29% in this band on the Comprehension section at present.
- To maintain the percentage of childrenreading above the 85th percentile at or above 35%
Also to expand the texts used for the development of Comprehension strategies which are additional to those listed in the school plan.
(ii)Set up a library management system to facilitate management and monitoring of class use of library.
(iii)Record other texts used for development of Comprehension Strategies.
(iv)Up skill all staff in the development of comprehension skills, through delivery of a workshop facilitated by P.D.S.T..
(v)Introduce new reading schemes throughout the school.
(vi)Explicit teaching of vocabulary at all class levels using the Tell & Spell Series.
Record children’s use of each strategy at class level. / All Teachers
Karen Banks.
All Staff.
Mary.
All staff.
All staff.
All staff/ Lelia. / May 2015
June 2015.
June 2015.
January 2015.
All year.
September 2014.
All year. / 18% scored in the 17th to 50th percentile band.
32% scored in this percentile band.
41% reading above the 85th percentile
Measureable Outcomes: Review June 2015.
New schemes reviewed at each class level. Adjustments made.
Report from book club groups.
Monthly reports and checklists reflect the strategies being taught.
All manuals and books purchased and available according to strategy.
All classes have prepared explanation of the comprehension strategies to be included with the homework sheets..
Reading standards in the school were assessed on the Drumcondra English Test . All targets in relation to comprehension skills were met.
Specific results for comprehension were analysed to inform a review of targets for next year.
Improvement Targets / Required
Actions related to Teacher Actions and pupil learning. / Persons Responsible / Timeframe for actions / Review Dates
YEAR Three 2015 - 2016 / June 2016.
Target Group 3rd class .
To reduce the percentage of pupils in the 3rd class group scoring in the 3rd to 16th percentile band on the Comprehension Section by 2%.
All other class groups to maintain scores in area of comprehension. / Explicit teaching of the strategies at this level.
Use of New reading scheme to teach strategies.
Co teaching with Sp. Ed team for a 6 week period focusing on Comprehension strategies.
Use of Reading Eggs on a trial basis to encourage independent reading.
Continue with explicit teaching of strategies according to school yearly plan.
Record extra readers and books suitable for teaching of strategies. / Class teachers.
Class teachers.
Sp. Ed teachers,
Karen Banks.
All staff. / December 2015
January 2016
February / March 2016
December 2016.
This School Improvement Plan for Numeracy was drafted by the teaching staff as part of the school’s Croke Park Hours’ Schedule during the course of the 2013 / 2014 school year and was approved and ratified by the Board of Management in June 2014.
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